Stories with Agitha
by Scrapbastard
Summary: Agitha and Link sit down for tea on a sunny afternoon. The visit is going swimmingly until Link has a mysterious dizzy spell... Short story, around 4000 words. Nothing adult, and no shipping. Just a fun little story.


**Hey everyone. Author here. Thanks for giving my short little story a look. It's my first time writing something like this, but please, don't go easy on me. If I mess anything up, or there's anything you would change, let me know. With that out of the way, please enjoy!**

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><p>Link had a great many friends. All souls he had met in his travels. People who needed his help, or who had helped him, people who taught him valuable lessons, people who wrestled him to the ground. He visited these kind and unique souls whenever he could It was actually quite a lot to keep up with! The children of his village, his 'brothers' on Death Mountain, the noble, soft spoken Zora, and even the ruler of the kingdom herself. He had so many bonds, so many people to visit, all spread throughout the vast kingdom of Hyrule. Some days he would tell stories to the children in Ordon. Other days he would attend to the Princess, assisting in her royal duties. Other, rather sweaty days, he would visit the Gorons and, well, do Goron things. Today, however, he would visit only one odd little girl, sitting expectantly in a castle of insects.<p>

It had been about a year since the crisis that had plunged Hyrule into chaos. The Twilight, vast and imposing, spread like a miasma through the kingdom, engulfing all that had ever been dear to the peaceful citizens. Well, Link had certainly put an end to that! He remembered it proudly. He was a hero, now. He certainly never expected to rise to such a title working on a goat farm in Ordon. And yet, here he was, clad in green and recognized throughout the kingdom. He blushed when he thought about it.

The memory wasn't entirely pleasant, however. His journey was not a happy romp through the daisies. I was a struggle against forces unknowable and evils unending. He had long since lost count of all the times he had nearly fell in battle. He had scars from almost every form of injury he could imagine. He had been burned, beaten, blasted, slashed, dashed, crushed, bitten, stabbed, clawed, and even shot. He thanked his luck that he had survived, and he thanked his courage that he hadn't lost the will to go on.

More painful than any of that, however, was the memory of a dear friend, lost forever. He would never see her again. That made him frown. He owed his life to this woman, and she owed him hers. They had been together for so long, he almost forgot what it was like to be alone. Midna had been his shadow, his helper, his teacher, and his greatest friend. But now she was gone, returned to her own realm. That was just over a year ago. Losing her made him sulk. It had taken a long time to cope with the loss of someone he held so dear. But he did, eventually. He moved on. He knew that was how she would have wanted it to be. In fact, if she had seen him moping around, she would have a great laugh, and probably a few choice words. So he did his best, kept his head held high, and stayed optimistic.

He did that by visiting his other friends. Today he would visit his dear friend Agitha. They had become close during his journey. When they first met, actually, she looked beside herself. She would run about her castle, setting pastries on plates and tea cups on saucers, completely unaware of his presence. When she did finally notice him, she looked rather embarrassed. She explained that she was setting up a grand party for her friends, but they were all late. By several days. That was the start of his quest for Agitha. She asked him to go searching for her friends, and bring them to her. It seemed like a simple prospect, find some little girls for a tea party, take them to the eccentric girl in the tree palace. Then he learned that he would actually be looking for twenty four people. Then he learned they weren't so much people, as they were twenty four golden, radiant insects.

Link thought it was silly. Midna thought the girl was completely insane. But Link found himself compelled to assist the poor princess in her endeavors, and as he did, he found himself believing that it was all as real as she claimed it was. By the time Link had gathered all twenty four of her 'guests' he was more than convinced that Agitha was a tried and true princess of insects. She seemed to have a way with them. She could communicate, or even listen to them. It was as if she herself was more a bug than a Hylian.

Midna still thought it was stupid, but that didn't stop Link from becoming an honorary knight of the insect kingdom. Since then, he had become quite close to the little girl. And so today, over a year later, he was to visit her.

Link knocked on the door to her palace gently. On the outside, it looked no different than a normal castle town dwelling, but on the inside, it was a sight to behold. It was a well lit room with a massive tree growing in the center. The tree was home to a seemingly endless amount of bugs, crawling on the walls, digging through the dirt, resting on the tree, or flying through the air. All of the furniture in the room was surprisingly clean and well kept. All nice, regal looking stuff, adorned with, what else, insect designs. Agitha was particularly fond of butterflies, and so her furniture was covered in little butterflies decorations.

The door creaked open and little Agitha greeted him with a smile. "Oh, Link! And just on time, too! You know you honorary knights don't have to knock, silly!" Link scratched the back of his head and looked a little embarrassed. He got so caught up in the illusion of royalty that he felt he needed to behave the same way around Agitha as he did around Zelda. Only Agitha's own reassurance put an end to that.

Agitha invited him inside and to the sofa across the room. She had prepared tea and pastries, just like she always had. "Come sit down Link, I have ever so much to tell you." Link obliged wordlessly. He sat down and listened to her for talk for a while.

"It's been such a busy day in the castle. First, my dear Sir Stag Beatle got into a fight with my Dear Sir Honey Bee. They were yelling the most obscene things, I had to send them away!" She directed Link's attention to either corner of the room and sure enough, the Stag Beatel and Bee were in opposite corners. Link would have laughed at the notion of two bugs fighting, but he knew Agitha was telling the truth. Agitha didn't take insects lightly, and Link swore she had some kind of connection with them. He was ready to believe that. After all he'd seen, a little girl that can talk to bugs was nothing unbelievable.

"I just know Mr. Cockroach is behind it. He loves spreading rumors almost as much as he likes the crumbs after tea parties. I'll have to have a discussion about etiquette with him." She took a sip of her tea, urging Link to do the same. And he did, though he wished he hadn't. The tea was so sweet it made his stomach hurt. It seemed less like tea and more like sugar and honey in a cup. The taste reminded him of Chu jelly. Agitha loved it, though, and he didn't want to offend her, so he swallowed his pride along with the tea.

Link felt a small insect perch on his shoulder, then. It was a small golden Dragonfly. He raised his palm to his shoulder and let it crawl on. He had caught this little guy a year ago for Agitha. "Oh look! Madame Dragonfly would like to say hello! She's quite smitten with you, wouldn't you know? That makes Mr. Dragonfly jealous."

Link felt the little dragonfly's wings twitch in response to this statement. He felt he should let this poor insect down gently, so as to spare it's little bug heart. "Hello, Madame Dragonfly! Nice to see you again. You're… Um… Thorax looks lovely today." The little insect twitched again and flew off as Agitha put a hand to her mouth, looking completely shocked.

"Link! So direct! You are at a formal occasion, may I remind you! You simply cannot go complimenting thoraxes as if it were nothing! Have you no manners?" Link looked embarrassed, though he didn't know why. He had no idea that was such a risqué topic.

"Sorry…" He looked flustered.

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to Madam Dragonfly. I'd act quickly, before you Mr. Dragonfly challenges you to a duel." Agitha said pointedly. The last thing she wanted was another duel. Especially one between an insect and a human, which she knew Link would lose.

Link looked around the room until he caught sight of what he believed to be the same dragonfly, resting on a flower. "I apologize, Madame Dragonfly. I shouldn't have… Um... Well, I just shouldn't have, I suppose."

That had appeased Agitha. She chuckled to herself. "It's okay Link, you couldn't have known!" She waved a hand at him dismissively. Link had never done that much speaking before his journey. Even during it, he was very quiet. He supposed this had something to do with never having anything interesting to say. He was a goat farmer, after all, and nothing exciting happens to goat farmers. Now, however, he was a hero! And many people want to speak to heroes, so he had to begin to speak as well.

Agitha told Link about her busy day minding the bugs and the castle and making everything perfect for their meeting. The way she spoke, her mannerisms, everything about her but her childish demeanor suggested she was brought up to be a lady in a royal court. Link had never seen her parents, but he never commented on the matter. That was too personal for them. They were close, but the last thing he wanted to do was drag painful memories out of her. For this same, reason, Link never told her a story about when he was in grave danger. Or if he did, he pretended as if he was some invincible hero who was never even threatened by monsters or mad men. The concept of life and death was a bit too much for Agitha to handle, he thought.

"Enough about the castle, though, I want to hear from you! You're very, very quiet for a hero, you know!" They shared a laugh. "I'd love to hear about another one of your daring exploits, Link."

Link responded with a story about how he once ventured deep into the heart of the forest, to enter the temple of time. There he fought, and gained dominion of, giant statues and ancient machinery. "All leading up to my fight with a gigantic.."

Link trailed off. He had used the weapon in that old temple to do combat with a massive arachnid. He hated spiders. But Agitha did not. There was no way he was going to tell her about the time she found the only giant armored spider in the world and crushed it. Link imagined her reaction would be one of great sadness, followed by greater rage.

"Link? Go on, a gigantic what? Eel? Slime? Oh! An automaton?"

"A giant… Um…" Link thought about a perfect cover for his story and zoned out temporarily.

Link looked across the sofa to her. He had completely lost track of what he was saying. He did that quite often, and Agitha had grown accustomed to it. She stared daintily at a small cricket crawling along the floor, and took a sip of her tea, keeping perfect composure. She behaved much more like a princess than he had ever expected a child her age to be capable of. Compared to her, even Zelda herself looked like one of the common folk.

"Link?" He snapped to attention. She had turned her attention to him, looking expectant. "If you've forgotten the details, another story will suffice." She smiled.

Oh, that's right. That's why he was here. Agitha adored his stories. She would listen so politely and ask inquiring questions. Not at all like the children of Ordon. They would get excited halfway through and run off to chase a cat or throw rocks at bee hives. Agitha was the perfect listener.

"Though, please, not the one about the Gorons. I've heard that story so many times, it's burrowed itself in my head like a little earwig." She giggled at her own joke, a joke Link didn't fully understand. He didn't ask for an explanation. When she got started with bug facts, she never stopped.

"And just what do you have against my Goron story, hm?" Link said sarcastically. He fondly remembered his time with Gorons. Rolling down hills, wrestling, soaking in hot springs. He was an official member of the Goron tribe. A 'Brother' of the Gorons. And he felt that kinship every time he met a Goron. Even those he hadn't met knew him by sight as an honorary Goron.

"Well, they're large and brutish and a bit smelly. Like stag beetles, almost, but not quite as charming." She crossed her arms with a huff.

He chuckled to himself. "I don't think that's a bad thing. I like the Gorons! They're good people."

"That's because you are one!" They both laughed. It was a happy laugh. One reserved exclusively for best of friends. He offered him another cup of tea, and he politely, though reluctantly, accepted. This was his third cup now. The teapot never seemed to run dry. He cursed that teapot.

"Honestly, I'd prefer a race of giant insect people. Could you imagine, a big, scholarly moth man, or a petite roly poly pillbug knight! Oh, I'd feel right at home!" Agitha gazed up at her tree, day dreaming. Her head swaying back and forth as she thought of all the different ways a bug and a man could be mixed.

"Well, funny you should mention that…" Link said, humorously. "I go to tea with a giant bug person quite frequently, she and I are good friends." Agitha looked at him and laughed. Well more of a giggle, honestly. She had this dainty way of laughing that was never too loud, but never too soft. It was, like everything else Agitha did, very refined.

"Well, Link, your big bug person would like a story, please. I only have so much tea, and I'd like to hear one before I have to brew more." Agitha was a bit impatient, he noticed. She was, after all, just a child. When he went on his bug hunt, and didn't return with a new bug for a few days, she would get very huffy.

"Well, let me see…" He thought for a bit. Which story should he tell? Perhaps the tale of the friendly yeti living in the haunted mansion in the mountains! Or maybe the story of the evil king who nearly took over the kingdom! On second thought, perhaps that was best reserved for a more mature audience. After some thought, he knew exactly what to tell her. A story he had never told anyone before. He remembered it like it was yesterday. "Have I ever told you the story of when I was a child, and I got trapped with the Zora princess in the belly of a gigantic fish?"

She jumped up excitedly. "My word, really? What... How?" She sat down, thinking to herself. "When? Weren't you a goat farmer?"

Link laughed out loud. "No, I absolutely did! I... Well, I..." He trailed off. What was he saying? That never happened. That's absurd. He didn't know any Zora princess. He knew a queen, and a prince, but no princess. And where did he get the idea of a giant fish?

He felt dizzy. "Are you unwell, Link? You look as green as a... Well, greener than usual." She giggled, but it wasn't her usual laugh. IT was full of unease. Link didn't respond. He looked down and scratched at the mark on his left hand. He tried to shake it off.

"Well, I..." He continued, "Once, I conducted a big ol' train all through Hyrule, so Zelda could get 'er body back! There was this big mean guy with a metal arm too, and…" He stopped, looking shocked at his own words. The way he spoke was reminiscent of an excited child. It reminded him of the kids back in Ordon. But that was not how Link carried himself. And that certainly never happened, either. What exactly was a train, anyway? What was happening here?

"Link, are you teasing me?" Agitha looked away and crossed her arms. "What a cruel grasshopper you are. Making up stories to tease me! I'm not a child, you know!" She tried her best to make Link feel sorry. She was a bit childish like that.

Link didn't react, though. He didn't even hear her. He was dizzy, his vision was fading, his throat felt dry.

"I... I uh..." He stood up and cleared his throat. Something wasn't right. His left hand burned. The room spun. His vision blurred. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his head. His thoughts raced. In his mind, he saw himself, or someone very like himself, doing amazing things that he had never done.

He gagged and looked to his hand. The mark was glowing brightly. He felt the presence of a thousand different beings, all the same, and different simultaneously. He felt the lives of those that came before, and those that would come after. He felt the lives of a thousand heroes.

Whhen he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in Agitha's Castle. In fact, he was nowhere. He floated in an endless void, which knew no beginning or end. It seemed to stretch farther than time. He called out to Agitha, but she was nowhere to be seen. His cries seemed hollow. They carried no sound, and indeed, no sound came back

The only light came from his hand. The mark of his courage. He had earned it during his quest. A sign that his deeds had serve Hyrule. A sign that the goddesses had chosen him as a hero. A small, radiant golden triangle on his left hand. It glowed softly.

When he looked up, however, there were more. Small golden triangles, floating in the darkness. They grew brighter. No, not brighter, closer. Eventually, their bearers came into view. A hundred heroes, clad in green, armed with the Sword of Evil's Bane. All the same as him, yet slightly different. He took in the sight. It made him feel queasy. Some were young, bright eyed youths, no older than ten. Their bright young eyes filled with aspiration. Some were older. You could see the struggles they had faced in their eyes. Some wore scarves, or were right handed rather than left, or wore purple or blue or red, rather than green. Taking this all in made his head hurt.

His head pounded as he took in the stories of these heroes. Some fought to save Hyrule, like him. Some fought to return home, or to find a dear friend. Some even fought the forces of evil beyond the borders of Hyrule. But each was a similar story. Each bore the mark of courage. Each was emphatically Link.

Why was this happening to him? And why now? What did his all mean? He had to know what it was they were trying to tell him.

The mark on his hand burned again, and he felt himself fading. Was he dying? He thought himself too young for that. No, he wasn't dying, but… moving on. He seemed to understand, or at least, he thought he did. He had saved this world, and it was time for his spirit to move to the next place in need.

He accepted that. It was time to go. He wondered where his spirit might end up. Would he remember this Hyrule? Probably not. He would miss his friends from this time, but they would be there in the next. There was always another Zelda. Another Ganondorf. Another Hyrule. It was all replaceable. He closed his eyes. He felt as though he were drifting to sleep.

Then he felt a hand take hold of his. He pried his eyes opened and looked down to his palm. Gently resting in it was a small gloved hand, belonging to a small, regal princess.

"Link?" Agitha asked. To her, in her world, he was simply standing motionless. She had called to him several times, to no avail. He didn't hear her. She knew that this was not a joke, now. Something was terribly wrong. She clung to his hand tightly, hoping that would rouse him from his seemingly vacant state.

Link looked at her. There she was. His eccentric queen of insects. He searched his mind. All the different places other selves had been to. All the different people his other selves had met. The journey was always different, but there were themes. There was always Zelda, and Ganondorf was there in some form. There were the mountain people, the forest people, and the water people, all different races, still there. Would there be another Agitha where he was going?

No. He searched and searched, but Agitha only existed in this time. He looked down to his hand, then to her. She looked rather panicked. She was a one of a kind soul in this world only. And he wouldn't lose that. There were so many people here in this time that had duplicates or equivalents, but there was never another Agitha. He refused to go, on that principle alone.

And just like that, he was back. Standing tall with Agitha in her castle. The bugs buzzed and chirped, the children laughed outside, and it was as if he had never left. Agitha stood there, gripping his hand.

"Are you okay, Link?" She looked so worried. His hand actually hurt from being squeezed so tightly. He looked down to her. She wasn't too much shorter than he was, but she looked so much like a worried little girl.

"Agitha." He thought of all he had just seen. Of all he now knew. He wondered how he'd cope with that knowledge.

"Yes, it's me, Link! Are you alright? You looked… You looked so… so gone, I… I…" She hugged him. Link was taken by surprise from the sudden embrace. He certainly didn't expect that. He felt sorry for making her go through something so scary. The poor girl must have been terrified and confused.

Agitha looked up at Link with tears in her eyes, and Link looked to her. He couldn't think of anything to say, so he just smiled. It was a relieved smile. He put one hand on her head and gently stroked her hair. "It's alright, Agitha. I'm still here."

Link collapsed onto the sofa. He was exhausted! He hardly knew what just happened, but he knew he was thankful he it was over. Agitha sat down next to him, shakily pouring some tea for herself.

"What happened Link?" She asked. Link wasn't sure what to tell her. He looked at her and thought of a good way to explain the things he just saw. Eventually he came up with something that perfectly communicated the way he felt.

I have no idea!" Link laughed a great, bellowing guffaw. He didn't even know what he was laughing about, but he was happy he was there, laughing with his friend. Agitha was completely stunned for a second, but eventually she let out a small giggle along side him, which eventually grew into a fit of hysterics. The two laughing together looked completely odd, but neither of them really cared much at that point.

When they had eventually settled down, Agitha and Link sat in silence for a while. What a day it had been for them both! He turned to her with a smile.

"I've got a story for you." He said, as Agitha put down her tea and smiled. "Have I ever told you about the time the Princess of Insects saved The Hero of Time?"


End file.
